Tuesday, November 05, 2013

In bread we trust: Maninis gluten-free mix

Maninis bread using Multiuso mix

You know how, in the movies, when the hero is about to die their life flashes before their eyes in a beautifully-shot montage of tender moments? Well, when I was first diagnosed with my gluten allergy, the montage that flashed through my mind was of all the bread I was going to be missing. Dramatic, I know, but hey--it happened. Bread is one of my fave things ever, and I never tire of it. It is always definitely be on the plate when I play the "last meal" game. Rustic breads, unleavened breads, quickbreads, dinner rolls, croissants, brie and butter sandwiches on rustic baguettes--you get the idea, I love 'em all. So ever since I was diagnosed in 2003, I've been on the hunt for a decent gluten-free bread that didn't taste heavy and fibrous like a doorstop, or the Washington Post. Most ranged from disappointing to downright criminal so basically I stopped eating anything resembling bread for years.

Although the gluten-free revolution is in now officially "a thing", to quote Rachel Maddow, I still manage to miss out on my bread-love because most of the good commercial loaves out out there (I hear Udi's is great) are based on rice. To which I am also allergic. Which is also why I'm the Queen, of course. I've dipped into the bread recipes of several respected #gf cookbooks, but have not been thrilled. And I've used Bob's Red Mill gluten-free bread mix, based on garbanzo bean flour, which I like for texture, but don't love for the slight beany aftertaste. It was my go-to, until now.

Last summer, I moved to Seattle and discovered Maninis Gluten Free, which bases their gluten-free breads, muffins, cookies, etc. on ancient grains like millet, teff, amaranth and sorghum. Also tapioca flour. Their pre-made baked goods and pastas caused me to gain an *undisclosed* number of pounds that summer, since I finally had bread that both tasted good and had a fantastic texture! (In my defense, they made these insanely good chocolate, chocolate chip and fresh raspberry muffins. The stuff of legends.) Sadly, they no longer sell their pre-made breads at the farmers market in my 'hood, so I'm left with whatever Maninis products I can get at Whole Foods: dinner rolls, fresh pastas and dry mixes. So I tried out the Multiuso (basic baking) mix yesterday using a recipe from their website.

Multiuse flour. They also have bread mixes.

It didn't disappoint! My biggest failure was to not proof test the yeast before I put it into the batter, as a result it took forever to make it rise. Also, I forgot to calculate the temperature difference since it's colder here than my kitchen in California. And, full disclosure, I parked the batter on top of the stove as a warm place to rise, completely forgetting that I have an electric stove, not a gas one. D'oh.

Lovely texture, terrific taste, with no nasty "it's not real bread" aftertaste. I froze half of the loaf for later. Be sure, I will be having some fantastic toast along with my newfound love of vegan butter based on coconut oil that I now make in quantities. I am SO happy, and feel so much more NORMAL knowing and trusting that I have delicious bread (and other baked goods to come) back in my life! You can also order their mixes online. In bread we trust!

*Bonus for those concerned with cross-contamination, the package states that they work from a dedicated facility free of gluten, wheat, dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish and soy.

Stir yeast into the 7/8 cup warmwater. Let stand until creamy (about10 minutes). Add oil, vinegar, andeggs.Place the 2 cups Multiuso™ in amixing bowl. Using a paddleattachment on the stir setting, slowlyadd the wet ingredients. Increasespeed to low and mix for 3 minutes.Spray an 8-1/2” x 4-1/2” loaf panwith nonstick cooking spray. Place thedough into the pan. Using a wetrubber spatula, gently form the doughinto loaf shape.Cover pan with a dish towel and letthe dough rise in a draft-free,preferably warm area. It’ll take about60 minutes but don’t rushit—humidity, altitude, and roomtemperature make a difference. Thedough will fill the pan and rise abovethe top. Preheat oven to 375°F.Place the pan on the middle ovenrack and bake for 45 minutes.Take bread from oven, remove breadfrom pan and place on a cooling rack.Cover with a towel and cool beforeslicing.

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About Me

A lifelong cook, former caterer and currently a marketing exec, in 2003 I discovered that I was allergic to wheat, dairy, soy, rice (hello, I'm Chinese!), gluten, chicken, garlic, tomatoes, citrus, lettuce, carrots, celery, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, flax and a few more. I'm also allergic to alcohol. This blog is where I share my adventures managing multiple food allergies.
Remember, I'm not a doctor, I can only share personal anecdotal experience. Email: foodallergyqueen@gmail.com or find me on Facebook!